Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Hello, hello! Another year is about to end... so, I believe it's time for a little R and R. And by that, I mean...

That's right! Welcome to the end-of-month (or in this case, year) newsletter style post, here at The Mailbox.

This will be a bit of a special edition of the usual Roundup and Recap, seeing as it's New Year's Eve and all. There really is something about taking a few moments to reflect upon a year gone by and to ponder things to come. So, sit back and relax as we take a look at some fun things from 2013...

Twenty thirteen was a fun year, for sure! Lots of creative play happened here at The Mailbox. Here is a look back at my 5 favorite posts from 2013...

Alrighty... so what's in store for 2014 here at The Mailbox? Lots of fun things, I promise. That's really all I am going to say for now... except for one little hint....

I have been working on something really fun that I plan to share with you next week :)

Oh, and there is also the business of finishing, and sharing, my December album. Thanks to the lovely box that arrived in the post today containing my Epson PictureMate ink, I am on my way to the finish line and will be posting about that very soon! (note to self: have a spare ink cartridge when relying on home-printing for a daily documenting project...)

Monday, December 30, 2013

Hello, hello! We are still on a holiday break from challenges at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog, however some of the DT members, and yours truly, are bringing you some inspiration today. Glittery inspiration... to be exact!

I am excited to show you one of my favorite techniques... Painting With Glitter!

Really? Yep! You read that right. Please have a look at the following video for a more thorough explanation: (having trouble viewing the embedded video? Here is a direct link: YouTube Video)

Thanks so much for watching and I hope I have inspired you to play with paint and glitter!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Hello, hello! I have a little inspiration to share with you all today, along with some of the other DT members from the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. We don't have a challenge this week due to the holiday season, but you won't get rid of us that easily! So, instead of a specific challenge, we are bringing you some wintery inspiration...I live in the south and we very rarely get snow. But, when it does happen... we sure do notice! In fact, the entire city pretty much closes down and people are practically standing in line to by a cow for fear they will never have access to milk again. What I love most about snow, when we do get to see it, is the soft tone-on-tone affect it has on the landscape. Although this layout isn't about snow, I wanted to create that look and feel on my layout.... so let's see how we can achieve that, shall we?One of my favorite ways to build layers of tone on tone goodness, is through collage. The forgiveness of layering and white paint really does come in handy!First up, I have layered some grays, whites, and mint greens...

Then, I just adhere them to my background using Stickles. I chose Stickles for 2 reasons... for one, I am out of Matte Medium. The other reason is that I am counting on the sparkle and texture to help along the snowy look of my page...

Once that is good and dry, I simply apply some white paint for a bit of a white-washed effect...

I love the softness of that! Now for some Gelatos...

A simple scribble here and there, then a dab of a wet brush...

Very pretty! Then, a bit more white paint is applied and now for some more glitter...

With the glitter set into the paint and all of that other mixed media fun, I can start building the rest of the page, starting with the photo...

A wood veneer card finds it's way on the page and now for a few punched snowflake shapes...

A couple of clouds don't hurt either...

I just love the subtle dimension that a tone-on-tone look can create...

And there we have it! A page full of glittery, snowy, wintery goodness...

From wintery thoughts, to a finished page!I hope this has inspired you to try some collage work in your next project!

I am an affiliate at the following stores: (clicking here before you shop will help support my creative endeavors. Thank you!)

Please remember that I have worked hard on the projects posted and all designs and images belong to soapHOUSE (unless otherwise noted). I welcome the opportunity for guest posting and publication. However, please contact me first for publishing rights. Thank you!